


We Decided To

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Newsroom Fanfiction Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26624308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: For Lilac Mermaid's August 2016 Fan fiction Challenge -- Set the show at a different timeIt's post WWII and the United States is changing.  Cars are becoming common.  Commercial flights are bumpy rides for rich people.  And television is in its infancy.  NBC debuted Meet the Press in 1947, while at CBS, Charlie Skinner began to put a team together that would experiment with the medium as a 15 minute nightly program.Only one of those statements is fictitious, and it happens to be where this story is set.
Relationships: Nina Howard/Will McAvoy, Will McAvoy/MacKenzie McHale
Comments: 10
Kudos: 10





	We Decided To

“McAvoy.”

Charlie kicked his feet on his desk and took a drink from the glass he just poured. “McAvoy? Charlie Skinner, _Buffalo Journal_. How the fuck are you?”

Will looked at his phone wondered who Charlie Skinner was and why the fuck he called a reporter from a town outside a town outside Lincoln, Nebraska. “I’m doing well, how the fuck are you?”

“Got a bourbon in my hand and a cigar in the ashtray. Life’s pretty good. You’re probably wondering why I’m calling.” Charlie didn’t pause to let him answer. “I hear you used to be a prosecutor before you got hit by the journalism bug.”

“I wouldn’t say it exactly like that, but close enough.”

“Well, McAvoy, I have a proposition for you. You may have heard that NBC is going to start a nightly news program. I’ve been contracted by CBS to counter them and start my own and I want you to be the face of it.”

Will made a disbelieving face at no one in particular. “Sir, I do not like to have my time wasted. I have a newspaper to run and the deadline isn’t going to stop for stupidity.” With that, Will hung up the phone. 

“Will, who was that?”

Will looked at his office door as his secretary, Nina, walked in. Secretary seemed like the wrong word to describe her. Besides her secretarial duties, she wrote a gossip column once a week. No one has proved anything else, a fact that Will works hard to keep intact. 

“I don’t know. Some crack pot named Skinner or something. Trying to put together a nightly news program on the television. I guess he wants me to be the face of it.” Will laughed, “he hasn’t even seen my face.” 

Nina walked into the office and looked behind her to make sure that no one saw her take his face in her hands. “I would tune in to see your face every night. I kind of already do. When he sees your face, he’ll be very happy.”

Will laughed out, “When?”

Nina put her arms around Will and sat in his lap. “You mean you don’t want to be part of that? Have your name in lights, your face across the country? People knowing who you are anywhere you go?”

Will noticed his office door open, so he put her arms down and gestured that he needed to get up. She stood while he closed the door and stayed at the opposite side of the room. “I can barely turn on a television. Why would I want to be on it? This may be a little paper, but we do good work here.”

“You would reach people across the United States, maybe even further. Do you want to trust someone else to cover news? Besides, we both know how much you like the attention.” Will considered it. “You could have your name on one of those signs outside the New York skyscrapers.”

“I guess.” Will felt a little uneasy and he didn’t know why. “But, don’t you think what we do is more important than the frivolity of having my name in lights?”

“Come on, Will. Don’t you want to drive around in a big car? See what the big deal about the big city is?”

He couldn’t argue with that. He did wonder. Nebraska was all he ever knew, all he ever experienced. And being able to drive something that wasn’t a tractor seemed like a long way off. Cars were becoming the norm, but Nebraska seemed to be at least 10 years behind the rest of western civilization. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If he calls back, I’ll listen to what he has to say.”

The next day, Will received a phone call. “McAvoy.”

“McAvoy, hi, Charlie Skinner. How the fuck are you?”

“You are persistent.”

“And you’re talking to me after only the second try. I guess I interested you. Did you also start to research me and my offer?”

Will did. He would never admit it, but he found out all about Charlie Skinner and his service in the Spanish-American War and the awards he won for journalism while working at the _Buffalo Journal_. He was even able to verify that Charlie had several meetings with CBS about some hush-hush project. “I wouldn’t assume that. Assuming your offer is real, why me?”

“McAvoy, I’m going to tell you the truth. I have an assistant who is doing research and, I don’t know what the hell. She has a list of all the things she thinks a news man needs to be in order to put together the type of show we’re trying to put on. I don’t know what’s on this list and I don’t know how she found papers from the middle of the country. But she heard of you, she found those papers. And when she did, she gave me samples of your work and said, ‘get him’. And I know better than to second guess her.”

“So, you want me to come out there on the word of some dame who has a high opinion of herself?”

“No, I want you to give the news to a national audience because I’m convinced you’re the best person for the job.”

“Based on what she said?”

“Based on what I’ve seen of your work.” Charlie gave him a second, then said, “For a long time, I’ve wanted to see the news on my television at night. And I want it given by someone who has an opinion. Who is bright, who asks questions, who doesn’t suffer fools, who will take down the people who want to take down the country or the world. Right now, we do news well. But we can make a mark if we just decide to.”

Will found himself thinking about the possibility, as quixotic as it seemed. “Talking on a television screen has to be different than writing articles. Is it going to be just reel to reel, or—"

Charlie smiled. He asked the right questions, he started thinking big. Or at least bigger. They would get him there. “We get to define what the news can be on television. And you get to be part of that. I’ll get you on a plane tomorrow and you can take a look around.”

“I don’t know –”

“Ticket will be at the airport. Just get to Kansas City.”

“I don’t-“

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Will heard the phone hang up and he slowly did the same. As soon as he let go of the phone, he saw see Nina standing in the door with an expectant look on her face. “Was that him? Are we going?”

Will picked up his long coat and hat. “I’m going to New York to see what kind of operation he has going there.”

“I’ll get a bag packed. I can start looking for a place for us to live.”

The enormity of the offer and what she suggested felt like a weight crashing down on him. “That’s not where we’re at, Nina.” He looked at the disappointment on her face and added, “I’m just looking around, maybe I’ll take in a show, I don’t have any intention of falling under the spell of the city or the people who swear by it.” Will walked out and let a few people know that he would be gone for a week or so. 

Transportation to Kansas City wasn’t easy. Will’s brother had worked in enough junk yards to put four wheels and an engine together, so he borrowed that. The car couldn’t go faster than 30 miles per hour, especially on the dirt roads of Nebraska. He drove all night and then got on the plane where he felt like a test pilot. He wondered if he was the first Nebraskan to fly in one of these contraptions. He figured he’d write about it and be the last one. 

The plane landed and he saw a blond woman holding a sign at his gate with his name on it. “Mr. McAvoy? I’m Maggie Jordan, one of the secretaries at CBS. Welcome to New York. I have your itinerary here. Mr. Skinner looks forward to meeting you.”

Will smiled. “Are you the woman he told me about that’s doing all the research into what we can make this television news idea?”

Maggie laughed, “Me? No. You must be thinking about Ms. McHale. We say that she’s another secretary, but everyone knows that she runs the place.”

Will shook his head. Of course she does. Only in the big city could a woman lead something like this. Will put his head back and tried to rest as the car took him to his hotel.

After he checked in, Ms. Jordan took him back to studio. He had never seen a building as big as the CBS building. She pointed to a sign and said that if the news took off the way Mr. Skinner and Ms. McHale thought then his name could be on that sign. Will thought he literally saw it, but dismissed it as sleep deprivation. 

The elevator took them up to a floor with Charlie’s office and a few other desks. Charlie was on the phone when he noticed Maggie walk in. Will heard him say, “Roger, I’m sorry, someone just came in. I need to call you back.” Will watched him hang up the phone and walk out. 

“Mr. Skinner, this is –”

“Will McAvoy. I didn’t know if you would come.”

Will laughed. “You sounded so sure of yourself.”

“Well, I’m an old man who drinks a lot. Come on in.”

The men went into Charlie’s office and after he closed the door, he went to his bar and said, “You drink bourbon?”

Will saw Charlie pour two glasses before he could say anything, so he said, “Sure.”

“You should know first and foremost that I keep the bar stocked. I hope you don’t like it watered down because I don’t keep ice cubes.”

Before Will could say anything, he heard a knock on the door and the most attractive woman he’s ever seen in real life walked in. “Mr. Skinner, I was looking at –”

“Mac, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Charlie.” He looked over at Will. “You can call me Charlie too. Mac, this is –”

Will stood up and extended his hand. “Will McAvoy. You must be the Ms. McHale that Ms. Jordan kept talking about.”

Mac shook his hand. “I am. And I am big fan of your work.”

Will laughed, never taking his eyes off her. “And just how does someone in the big city come across the _Lincoln Journal Star_?”

“An old friend.”

Charlie, who felt a little left out, said, “Don’t be such a prude, Mac. It was an ex-boyfriend who thought you were a dick. She looked you up anyway.”

Will tried to think who he pissed off from New York. Or maybe England, he didn’t remember pissing someone off from either place.

“Brian Brenner. He did a paper in college about law in journalism. He tried to interview you and you refused him.”

Charlie smirked, “He doesn’t let things go easily.”

Will kind of remembered the name. “Brenner. Brenner. Was he the one that said he wanted to talk about interviewing techniques, but kept attacking me for a case I prosecuted? I wondered if he knew the defendant.”

“Well, everyone he knows is an ass, so there’s a good chance.”

Will smiled. “So, I hear that you want to revolutionize the way we cover news. Can you tell me about that?”

Mac looked at Charlie who smiled and nodded his head, giving her permission to sit down. “Right now, news is a narrated reel to reel. We show the images that make us proud to be the good guys. Otherwise, we cover the news in papers where we give facts, but we all know that there’s only so much we can communicate in a finite number of column inches. What we’re talking about here is something that will let us marry the images from the reel to reel with the facts of newspapers. Technology is coming that will let us record interviews. We can talk to newsmakers and get more out of the story, tell more of it to the American people. We can influence how they see their government, how they vote, who they choose to put in power. We can inform the democracy.”

There was something about her spirit, her passion, that excited Will. The image that she painted excited him more than he has ever has been. 

Charlie watched as Mac talked about what the news could and should be, while Will followed along and asked questions, getting excited himself. Charlie always knew he could rely on Mac’s judgement, but still, she hadn’t met Will and Charlie didn’t know what Will would bring to the table. But watching the two of them, the chemistry was right. He knew in his gut that this would work. 

When Mac stopped to take a breath, Charlie said, “Mac, do you think we should show Will around, introduce him to the team?”

“Sure.” Will opened the door and held it for her as she walked out and he walked right next to her. Mac started at the desk closest to Charlie’s “This is Neal, he’s our tech guy. His job is to keep up with advances in technology and figure out how to evolve the show over time.”

Neal stood up and shook his hand. “It’s good to meet you. I read your some of your articles.”

“Here are Jim and Don. They’re going to make sure everything is ready for the broadcast. Their roles will evolve as we move forward, but to start with, they will make sure that we have 15 minutes of stories to tell at night. This is Martin, he’s one of a few that will assist Jim and Don. If nothing else, he will hold up your cue cards.” Mac gave Martin a teasing smile that he eventually returned. 

“Cue cards?”

“You’ll have your script in front of you too, but, I’ve been sitting in the studio reading copy and I think it’s going to be important for you to have cards in front of you to keep your eyes up.”

Will stopped for a second, impressed at how much thought has gone into this already. Everything she said made sense, he just hadn’t thought about it. As a prosecutor, he had time to learn the outline of his opening and closing and make sure everything sounded perfect while he maintained eye contact with his jury. As a newspaper writer, writing an article is more two dimensional, a recitation of facts that will let readers make up their own minds. This will be something different. Less theatrical than a closing argument and more informal than writing. 

Will realized that Mac looked at him with confusion since he stopped talking, and probably moving. Finally, he said, “So, writing for television will be different from newspaper writing?”

Mac smiled affectionately at him. “Yes. It’s not a hard skill, it’s like writing for radio if you want to start listening for how they do it, but, I think it will be a little different. Your face will be coming into people’s homes. They have to know they can trust you, so delivery will be important.” She saw a look on him that she didn’t know how to interpret. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. We’ll make sure to customize everything to your style.”

Will felt a little overwhelmed. “Thanks. So, I guess that’s what you’ll do? Make sure that my script is television ready and plays to my strengths?”

Mac looked surprised, “I’m Charlie’s assistant. I’ll do whatever he needs me to do for a successful show.”

Will looked at Charlie who gave him a knowing nod. In the short time that he’s known Ms. McHale, Will already trusts her and knows he will need her to run his show. Charlie seemed to agree, which set Will’s mind at ease. 

After the tour, Charlie suggested that the three of them go to dinner. He set the rule very clear, no shop talk, tonight they would spend the evening building chemistry. As they sat in the booth at a hole in the wall just outside the city, Charlie asked Will what keeps him in Nebraska. Will explained that his family has a farm that needs extra hands, particularly after his mother passed away a few years ago. His job as a prosecutor and now at the _Journal Star_ allows him time away. Charlie knew a little about his home life from some research he did, so he didn’t probe too much further. Mac asked him if he had a wife or kids. Will shook his head, “Nope. I’ve always had more work than would allow me to start a family.” He looked at her and said, “And you? Husband? Boyfriend?”

“No, Brian was the last. When it was clear that we didn’t have a future, I just haven’t had a chance to find a replacement.”

Charlie looked at the two, knowing the parts of the stories they didn’t divulge, but also seeing the quiet looks between them. While each behaved as you would expect in mixed company, Charlie began to feel like a third wheel as Will and Mac exchanged stories of going to school and what it’s like being part of big family. Charlie found a time to excuse himself and left the two talking like they had been friends forever. When the waiter came to tell Will and Mac that they had to close the restaurant, they laughed in embarrassment of how long they had been there and when they left, Will asked if she wanted to go somewhere else to get a nightcap. Mac said she shouldn’t, she has to be back at the office early in the morning. Will asked how early, and Mac just laughed and left. 

Will got a cab and went back to the hotel whistling. The front desk gave him a message from Nina asking how it was going. Will looked at his watch. They hadn’t made any plans for when he’d call, and it was too late to do so, so he decided to get a good night sleep and go back to the newsroom early the next day. He’d make it a point to call Nina sometime.

Will spent the remainder of the week hanging out with the team that Mac put together for Charlie. Will came to resent the verbal gymnastics they went through to make sure none of the men in the newsroom felt like Mac was their boss. Each evening Charlie took anyone who wanted to out to dinner at a nearby bar. Will and Mac each went as well as several others. Will made sure to walk out with Mackenzie and make sure she got home. He got her to her apartment, but never went in. 

At the end of Will’s last day in New York, Charlie asked him if he decided, will he come back and be the face of the network? Will laughed. He thought he made his decision clear. For him, it wasn’t even a choice. There was no way he could turn this down. The city, the team, Mackenzie. All of it just seemed perfect in every way. “When do you want me back here?”

“Beginning of next month. You’ll take the office next to mine.”

Will nodded his head, but before he would shake on it, he had another thought. “I want Mackenzie to have the office next to mine then. I need her taking the lead on this show. Everyone here is capable, but only because they follow her lead. If anyone has a problem with that, they don’t have to be here.”

Charlie nodded his head. “I’ll see to it. And I’ll see you in a month.”

Will held out his hand for a handshake and took his bag heading out to the cab Ms. Jordan called. When he got outside, a car honked at him. He looked and saw Mackenzie in the driver’s seat. She leaned over the seat and opened the door. “You didn’t think I would let you leave without saying goodbye.”

Will put his suitcase in the back and got in. As they drove, he said, “I talked to Charlie. I’m going to be back in a month and I told him that I wanted you to run the show when I get back.”

“Mr. McAvoy, you didn’t have to—”

“I need you. You know this stuff better than anyone. I have to be able to trust the people putting the show together and while Jim and Don are good, you’re the best.”

Mac smiled. “Thank you.”

“And you know I’m going to be starting a new life here.” 

Mac looked him wondering where he was going with that, but he didn’t pick up the thread. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I guess I was just thinking that I’m going to be by myself and will probably want to spend some time with you.”

Mac gave him a bright smile. “I look forward to that.”

Will shook her hand goodbye and went into the airport for his flight, with images running through his head of his future in New York, doing the news, with Mackenzie. When he landed, he found his brother’s car in the parking lot and drove immediately to the newspaper office. Most of the staff would have left already. The guys in the press would still be there, one reporter to cover any late-night news, and his co-editor Reese who seemed to never leave. He needed to talk to Reese. Reese deserved to know what Will agreed to.

Will walked into Reese’s office and found Nina gong over some papers with him. Reese smiled when he saw Will while Nina looked hurt. Will realized that in the week he was gone, he didn’t call her like he intended. “So how was the city?”

Will sat down and took a breath, excitement written all over his face. “It’s everything you ever heard. They’ve got a good set up there, their staff has a philosophy of news that… She could teach a master class.”

Reese nodded his head knowingly. “You’re leaving us, aren’t you?”

Will looked at Reese and then at Nina. “It wasn’t my intent, but I think I fell in love there.” He saw the look on Nina’s face and quickly added, “with the city, and the job and what they want to do.” He looked back at Reese, “It’s a once in a lifetime offer.”

Reese nodded his head. “When do you leave?”

“I figure I can stay here for 2 weeks, make sure everything is in order, then I’ll take a week to pack and travel, then hopefully get there a week before I start. Have some time to settle in.”

Reese shook his hand, “You will be missed, but congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Will looked at Nina and said, “Can I borrow Nina for a second?”

Nina followed Will to his office. “I’m sorry I didn’t call while I was gone. I meant to, but they work insane hours.” He looked at her again and tried to start over. “I didn’t intend for you to find out like that. I wanted to go by your place and tell you privately, you were just…. Nina, I can’t explain what happened there, but I know that that’s where my future is and…” Will didn’t want to finish the sentence. 

So Nina finished it for him, “That’s where your future is, and I’m not part of it. Is that what you want to say?” She watched him nod his head. “We’ve been together for about 6 months and we never talked about the future.”

Will whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Nina nodded her head and turned to leave. 

Will spent the next three weeks trying to leave everything in a good place. His brother would take over his duties at the farm, mostly management. Will even bought the car from him for more than it was worth so he could buy a new car. Reese named a new editor, Gary, to take Will’s place at the paper. Will thought he could drive straight through to New York in 4 days with the 3 bags he packed. When he arrived at his new apartment, one week before he started work, he looked around at the New York skyline and picked up his phone. “Hi, Mackenzie? This is Will. I just got into town and wanted to know if you would like to go to dinner?”

Hearing her say yes was music to his ears. 


End file.
